Pair of career best sprints by Ariane Linton garner SEC Freshman of the Week

BIRMINGHAM – Setting career best times in the 100m and 200m at the John McDonnell Invitational garnered the SEC Freshman of the Week honors for Razorback Ariane Linton, who finished as the second-best collegian in each race and placed third overall as she sped to career best times of 11.31 and 23.16.

On the Arkansas all-time list, Linton is No. 8 in the 100m and No. 10 in the 200m. Among the 100m list, Linton moves ahead of Taylor Ellis-Watson (11.33) and Janeek Brown (11.34). In the 200m, Linton moves ahead of Kiara Parker (23.19), and is within a 10th of a second behind Payton Chadwick (23.07) and Nugent (23.10).

Linton, from Lemannville, Louisiana, entered this season with previous career best times of 11.39w and 23.96.

This past weekend, Linton was the fastest freshman among all 100m marks and equal third best collegian in the 100m among wind-legal marks. In the 200m, Linton was the second-best freshman over the weekend and had the sixth best time among wind-legal marks.

In the 100m, with a 0.6 tailwind, Linton finished third behind teammate Ackera Nugent (11.13) and Arkansas alum Jada Baylark (11.24). Over 200m, with a 1.7 aiding wind, teammate Rosey Effiong led the field in 23.02 with Baylark runner-up (23.14).

Among national event rankings, the Razorbacks rank fifth in the 200 with a four-person average of 23.08 from Effiong (22.91), Nugent (23.10), MeKenze Kelley (23.14w), and Linton (23.16). Arkansas is seventh in the 100 with an average of 11.36 from Nugent (11.12), Linton (11.31), Tiana Wilson (11.47), and Joanne Reid (11.55).

Quality and depth in the 400m have the Razorbacks leading that event with an average of 50.92, the only school currently with a sub 51 second average this season. Leading the crew is Britton Wilson (49.51), followed by Effiong (50.93), Nickisha Pryce (51.47), and Aaliyah Pyatt (51.75).

The next four Razorbacks average 52.29, which would rank fifth behind Texas (51.44), Texas A&M (51.64), and USC (51.69). Arkansas’ next four in the 400m includes Paris Peoples (51.89), Reid (51.95), Amber Anning (52.35), and Kelley (52.97).

In national team rankings, Arkansas remains No. 3 behind Texas and Florida. The rest of the top 10 includes Oregon, LSU, USC, Texas A&M, Georgia, Kentucky, and Ole Miss.